Implementing Bologna structures and principles in German universities

As one of 47 countries participating in the Bologna Process, Germany has successfully implemented the two-tier structure of Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. By winter semester 2016/2017, 91 % (approx. 16,800) of all German study programmes led to a Bachelor’s or a Master’s degree. These new programmes proved to be attractive to international students.

The main objective of the European study reform (“Bologna Process”) has been to create a common European Higher Education Area, supporting mobility for students and teachers at an international level and promoting the mutual recognition of grades and exams across the member countries. (For more see www.ehea.info and bologna-bucharest2012.ehea.info).

But implementing the two-tier structure has just been the first step. German universities have taken up the challenges of the other Bologna action lines that the ministerial communiqués deal with, e.g. the promotion of mutual recognition across education sectors, the increasing diversity of the student population and, first of all,the quality of the student experience.

An HRK working group assessed the progress made so far in implementing “Bologna” in Germany and presented its report in April 2013. In a second step, the group formulated recommendations for action which were adopted by the HRK in November 2013. The recommendations are addressed at the Federal Government and those of the Länder, at the leadership of higher education institutions and at higher education staff.

Employability and academic standards

New competency profiles have been developed, especially for the Bachelor’s degree programmes. Bachelor programmes are oriented towards subject-specific standards, but also general skills relevant to the labour market. Thus they qualify graduates for careers throughout Europe. Studies have shown that career prospects are good for graduates entering the labour market directly after achieving their Bachelor’s degree.

The Bologna reforms have coincided with a number of other challenges that German universities are facing. These include the declared political objective to widen access to higher education for new student groups, such as adults with professional experience looking for further education and training. This development has to be seen against the background of an ever increasing demand for highly trained specialists and the growing expectations job seekers have to meet in the labour market. An important tool in this process is the recognition of prior (experiential and professional) learning as contributing to a degree course.

Public recognition of excellence is another way to encourage good teaching at German universities. To this end, the HRK together with the Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft awards the “Ars legendi Prize” for outstanding achievements in teaching in higher education. The prize is endowed with 50,000 euro and until 2012 it has been awarded annually in a given discipline. The 2012 applications were invited from the social sciences. As from 2013 the Ars legendi Prize will be awarded not for teaching in a given discipline, but for excellent performance in a specific teaching situation. The 2013 prize will focus on good teaching in the initial phase of study programmes.

Recognition

By introducing the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System ECTS, a common European language has been found for assessing workloads and for recognising study periods spent at another institution. Additional transparency instruments, such as the Diploma Supplement, are also improving the cross-border readability of the new degrees.

Furthermore, universities have expanded and improved their quality assurance procedures systematically. As part of this development, German universities are developing and testing processes to ensure that recognition of achievements is transparent, flexible and properly validated. The HRK supports this through its “nexus” project by providing a platform for sharing knowledge and exchanging “good practice”. (Press release “Unbureaucratic academic credit recognition to increase European student mobility”)

All of these developments illustrate that German universities are facing a broad range of challenges – made even more daunting by the constantly increasing student numbers and by funding that for many years has not kept pace with the widening tasks. Nonetheless, German universities continue to confirm their ability and determination to meet these challenges through an impressive number of innovative projects, initiatives and models.

As a result of the debates on the purpose and ways of implementing the Bologna reforms, a new culture of student involvement in higher education has emerged. Students are taken seriously as experts on their own learning experience and partners within the academic organisation. This development makes a valuable contribution to the further design of high quality teaching and learning at German universities.

Project nexus - Forming Transitions, Promoting Student Success

The German Rectors' Conference (HRK) has been offering its member universities guidance and support on implementing the European Study Reform for over ten years. In 2014 HRK with the support of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) has launched a new project to help universities with the continued implementation of the European Study Reform.

The project "nexus – Forming Transitions, Promoting Student Success" focuses on optimising the initial phase of studies, promoting mobility during a course and facilitating the transition to employment. Selected groups of experts in the engineering, business and healthcare/medical fields work with the project to develop generic solutions.

The new nexus project is based – among other things - on the recommendations by the HRK on further development of the Study Reforms.